RSA networks - some history

Matthew Taylor's vision

The new chief executive of the RSA, Matthew Taylor, set out his vision for the organisation and the role of Fellows in an email to Fellows in 2007.

In essence, our aim is that the RSA becomes a network for civic innovation, empowering both Fellows and staff to develop new initiatives that promote and deliver progress in society. We want to make it easier for any Fellow who wants to get involved to connect with other like-minded Fellows and to develop initiatives that seek to remove barriers to progress, working locally, in professional groups or simply among people who share interests and enthusiasms.

For the team at the RSA charged with looking after this project, this event is a real opportunity to work with Fellows to understand more about where your passions lie, the level and extent of engagement you are looking for, and how ambitious we as a group want to be.

… and set out the possibility of a radically transformed organisation.

The November 22 event produced enormous energy and enthusiasm, and a set of ideas for further development. There was substantial progress during the next two months.

Unfortunately most of the RSA links from 2007 are now dead, because of redesign of sites.

The original RSA networks site developed by Andy and Saul was also abandoned, and a new team of developers commissioned. That site would also later be abandoned, and an adhoc system of third party Ning sites set up in 2010. These would be used until 2012 when they too were abandoned (check dates). A further development of RSA sites initially promised a new online platform for Fellows, but that did not materialise, and there is currently no generally available system.

OpenRSA

A group of Fellows was inspired by Matthew Taylor's vision and set up OpenRSA to support development. However, they argued that if the mission was to be civic innovation - rather than just membership services - then the online system should not be restricted to RSA fellows.

RSA Networks development and evaluation

The original 2007 vision, funded by NESTA, was for an ambitious collaboration between RSA staff and Fellows enabled by an online platform. The collaboration has evolved in various ways over the past nine years, but the online platform has not.

The initial platform developed by Andy Gibson and Saul Albert was replaced by another system, later abandoned.